HBO launches an over-the-top streaming service in Central Europe

HBO is launching an over-the-top subscription streaming service in parts of Central Europe, parent company Time Warner announced today.

HBO is launching an over-the-top subscription streaming service in parts of Central Europe, parent company Time Warner announced today. The move will allow viewers in Hungary, Romania, the Czech Republic and Slovakia to stream HBO programming - including its original series, documentaries, movies and more - alongside HBO Europe's local content. The service will not require users to have a pay TV subscription, similar to how HBO NOW operates here in the U.S.

The differences between HBO NOW and the new Central European offering is in the content mix and pricing. The new service will include HBO's most popular series, including current shows like Game of Thrones, Westworld and Silicon Valley, plus top classic series like Sex and the City, The Sopranos and The Wire. But this will be augmented by HBO Europe's programming lineup, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

For example, the service will offer all seasons of Shadows and Silent Valley (Romania), Burning Bush and Wasteland (Czech Republic) and Golden Life (Hungary), plus many documentaries, movies, and kids' programs. Top movies arriving at launch include Beauty and the Beast, Trainspotting 2, Jackie and Assassin’s Creed, among others.

Another differentiator is that the new HBO Go-branded service will also offer third-party content from other services, like The Handmaid's Tale, Babylon Berlin, Billions, Twin Peaks andLuther.

Pricing for the service is €6.99 per month, except in Romania, where it's €4.99 per month, notes Variety.

Like HBO Go and HBO NOW, the new service is also designed to work across devices. It supports 2 concurrent streams and up to 5 connected devices per account. The service runs on mobile phones, tablets, Samsung smart TVs, and Sony PlayStation.

"HBO Go via affiliates is already a huge success in Central Europe, but our goal is to make it even easier for the many series lovers in these countries to access HBO’s premium content," said Herve Payan, CEO of HBO Europe, in a statement. "The launch of HBO Go direct to consumers in Central Europe is a natural step for us after successful launches of HBO streaming services in Spain, Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland."